This invention relates generally to stadium seating, and in particular to a stadium seating system which is provided with a plurality of chair modules having a one piece molded plastic construction.
Primarily because of their lesser cost, many stadiums employ bleacher type seating. Nevertheless, because of the additional comfort afforded by individual chair type seating such seating is becoming increasingly popular. Part of the added cost in installing chair type seating involves the cost of the chair itself. In order to minimize the amount of space which is needed between rows, retractable chairs having flip-up type seats or other arrangements are used. These type chairs are typically more expensive by virtue of their construction than chairs having only a fixed seat. While flip-up or retractable style chairs are cost effective for indoor stadiums where the additional roof expense needed to cover the larger seating area outweighs the additional expense needed to make the chairs retractable, such considerations do not apply in outdoor stadium seating situations.
Whether or not the chairs are retractable, present stadium chair designs are characterized by a multi-piece construction in which the seat, back, and armrests are separately formed and interconnected by various type fasteners and/or interlocking framework. To minimize expense and yet provide sufficient durability and comfort, the seat and backs are typically formed of a durable plastic, such as high density polyethylene, which resists cracking, warping and peeling whereas the interconnecting framework may be made of a suitable metal material, such as aluminum. Typically also, the plastic formed seat and back portions are stationary injection molded and have a single wall construction with reinforcing ribs for added strength. This multi-piece, multi-material construction for a stadium seating chair is employed despite its added expense over a one-piece integral plastic chair because a one-piece chair construction formed by conventional stationary injection molding techniques would lack sufficient strength for practicable use in stadium seating applications.
Another disadvantage contributing to the premium cost of individual chair-type stadium seating involves the way in which the chairs are installed relative to the understructure. Conventional stadium seating chairs are configured so as to require building a closed deck type stadium seating understructure upon which the chairs are then installed. In a closed deck configuration there is no open space between floorboards and risers, in contrast with open or semi-open deck configurations usually associated with cheaper bleacher-type stadium seating, and thus no opportunity for articles or debris to fall through the seating area. The material and labor costs involved with installing a closed deck understructure is a significant part of the overall cost of the seating system and contributes to the high costs heretofore associated with such systems.